


Radiance

by Umbral_Wings



Series: Renovatio [2]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, References galore, Something just isn't quite right here
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-02
Updated: 2017-06-02
Packaged: 2018-11-08 05:55:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11075418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Umbral_Wings/pseuds/Umbral_Wings
Summary: The start of the whole thing. Diverges wildly from canon storyline but also kinda doesn't. In some places. Cryptic, I know. I don't want to give much away in the summary. Read and find out! Or don't!Rating subject to change.)))ON HIATUS(((





	Radiance

**Author's Note:**

> I'm going to keep the chapters short for mobile users and folks on the go. Or, I might not, we will see.
> 
> As per usual, all canon characters, places and et cetera are the property/copyright of Squaresoft/Square Enix (Squenix?)  
> All original characters, places and et cetera are property/copyright to me.
> 
> Onward!

 

 

Snow fell heavily outside, covering the city of Midgar in a dense blanket of snow that gave off a faint, blue-green light at night; mako permeated everything here. It never fell below the plate but the heat generated from below caused the snow above to melt and refreeze, forming massive icicles that didn't melt until late in the spring. It wasn't uncommon to hear about people in the slums being crushed by the falling ice.

This particular snowstorm had started early in the afternoon and was predicted to continue until late the next night. Genesis, Angeal and Sephiroth had decided to stay the night in the small rooms attatched to their respective offices rather than brave the cold and, worse yet, the traffic which had all but slowed to a crawl due to a nasty accident on one of sector 0's main highways. The three Firsts were currently sitting in the break room on the 49th floor, watching the snow fall from the night sky.

Genesis, who up until this point had been reading Loveless and drinking brandy-spiked coffee, closed his book and glumly declared that he absolutely dested winter for the umpteenth time that night.

"I hate it," he continued, "Hell maybe I should try and drive home. Who knows how many others decided to stay tonight."

"Do you really want to be stuck in traffic for who knows how long? And risk possibly getting in a wreck?" Angeal reasoned, "besides, most everyone has left by now, we have the whole floor prettymuch to ourselves."

Genesis opened his mouth to make a snarky retort when Sephiroth interrupted, "As far as I know," he stated in that always-neutral tone of his, "the only people still here that have access to this floor are Zackary, likely with his new cadet friend -whose name eludes me at the moment- a third class and I believe one of the Turks may still be lurking around."

Genesis let out a dejected huff, "Well I guess it could be worse."

Just then, as if speaking his name somehow invoked his presence, Zack burst through the door smiling like the cat that ate the canary. His young blonde friend Cloud walked in next wearing an expression that fell somewhere between nervous and tired. Genesis groaned.

"Hey guys!" Zack greeted cheerfully, "Since we're all kinda snowed in together we should hang out in here tonight and play some games. You down?"

Genesis immediately declined, remaining adamant in his decision despite Zack's pleading and protests, and retired to his office. Angeal amiably agreed to sit in on a few games before he watered the plants in his office. After a moment of deliberation, Sephiroth decided to return to his office and do... Something. He didn't much care for social gatherings, especially around people he didn't know well, preferring instead to be alone.

     Shortly thereafter, just down the hall, there came a knocking at Genesis' office door. Figuring it to be Angeal checking on him ~ _as if I needed coddling_ ~ Genesis thought irritably, he went to the door and flung it open, fully prepared to give his friend an earful for interrupting his work. His rant died on his tongue, however, when he saw that it was in fact Ashlyn, who'd recently been promoted to 3rd Class. She stood akimbo, left hand rested on her hip, the other hung by her side. In place of her usual genial smile was a look of annoyance.

Genesis would never readily admit it but he thought she looked beautiful, even in a soldier uniform, with sandy blonde hair cropped playfully short and eyes that were a bright emerald green (the glow of mako in her eyes was also a brilliant green instead of the usual light blue and he couldn't help but wonder why).

"Rhapsodos." she said curtly.

"It's 'sir' to you, Third, what do you want?" he snapped, trying to sound more annoyed than he really was.

"Did you kill the copier?" she asked.

"Ugh. It's probab- wait, what?" THAT caught him off guard. He quickly regained his surly composure, "No. I didn't, ok? Why the hell would you think I did it?"

"Well, on account that it looks melted and scorched and you have a tendency to fling fire spells at things that piss you off -let's just say I made an educated guess."

He rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh, "Show me."

 

      Sure enough, the printer/supply room was full of thick, pungent smoke and what remained of the big copier/printer, some internal part of it still smoldering.

"See? I told ya it was fried." Ashlyn chirped, "I'm kinda suprised the smoke alarm hasn't gone off yet."

Genesis took a look at it, noting that the damage was too severe to tell if it had simply shorted out or if it had "help". Didn't matter anyway, nothing to do now but put the thing out and let the Resources Department know they needed a new one. Out of curiosity, he checked the smoke alarm in the room: the sensor in it had been disconnected. Heh heh.

"Well, this old paper-eating bastard had it coming." he remarked, "Did you do this?"

"Really? Destroy the copier _before_ I'm finished printing shit out so I'd be stuck using the even crappier one downstairs THEN come and ask if you did it?" Ashlyn smiled, "give me some credit, Rhapsodos."

That smile of hers was back and he couldn't help but chuckle. "Okay, okay, you have a valid point. I'll give Resources a call in the morning. Let's get this fire hazard put out."

"You or the printer?"

"Shut up"

* * *

 

      Sephiroth sat quietly in his office with nothing to do: he'd already finished his work for the night and his usual online RTS games just weren't keeping him occupied like they normally do.

So much damn paperwork. Relaxing, peaceful, boring, madness-inducing peperwork. The General sighed; he hated being stuck at a desk for hours on end, but it had to be done. A lot of people thought all he did was show up someplace, kick ass, then leave and there would be a cool explosion somewhere in the background. Sure crazy things happened sometimes but in reality all it did was practically  double the paperwork and then... Bureaucracy.

He HATED that word. 

He couldn't wait for his secretary to get back from vacation.

Sephiroth pulled out some sheets of blank paper he always kept handy and started to draw.

* * *

 

      Both rather preoccupied with their work, Reno and Ashlyn collided on the stairs, knocking files and papers everywhere.

"Oh, lovely." Ashlyn drawled, "Thanks for that, Turk."

"Yeah like I did that on purpose, SOLDIER girl." Reno snarked back while he gathered up his papers, "I thought you guys were s'posed to be super observant all the time."

"And I thought _you guys_  were supposed to be quick and agile -as in not running into people."

Reno just shook his head in exasperation and continued up the stairs; he just didn't have it in him to get into an argument with Her Holiness right now, his mind was on other things. Ashlyn stared after him a moment, wondering, then went her own way.


End file.
